What sets this restaurant apart from others? Fresh meat that is hand-patted and char-grilled

When did the restaurant open? This location opened in January 2007. The original Hamburger Heaven opened on Crestwood Boulevard in 1982; it was begun by Jack Caddell, who had started - and sold - Jack's Hamburgers.

Honors: We once received an Educational Service Award from the Homewood City Schools; the schools present only one of those awards annually. Also, for 12 of 14 years, readers of The Birmingham News have named ours the city's best hamburger.What's new? We are now serving breakfast from 6 to 10:30 a.m. on weekdays and from 7 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays.

Favorite restaurant other than where you work: Cafe Dupont in downtown Birmingham.

Chef you most admire: Chris Dupont, who owns Cafe Dupont.

Favorite herb: Cilantro.

Do you cook at home? No. My wife is a wonderful cook.

Kitchen gadget you could not work without: A Char Grill.

Strangest occurrence in your restaurant's dining room: In May I was in the freezer, wearing a coat, when an employee came in the freezer to tell me that Paula Deen and her husband, Michael, had just come into the restaurant. She was in town for a fundraiser and said she had heard that we had good hamburgers and wanted to try one. She also tasted some of our shakes and really liked those.

Food/restaurant-related pet peeve: Litterbugs.

Advice for someone outfitting a kitchen: Purchase quality equipment.

Worst mistake most cooks make: Overcooking meat.

Your best-kept kitchen secret: We serve low-fat ice cream.

Advice for pulling off a last-minute meal: Come by for a bag of Ãburgers. We even have a drive-through if you're in a huge hurry.

Your best cooking tip: Cook meat to temperature, not to color.

Where will you be in 10 years? Right here.

Final thoughts: Hamburger Heaven has five locations in the Birmingham area; I also am involved with the one in Tarrant.